Herts Moth Group News and Information
2010 Annual Meeting
It is the usual venue for Herts Moth Group annual indoor meeting at Havers Community Centre, Bishops Stortford. The date is
SATURDAY 27th MARCH 2010 from 2pm to 6 pm
and the guest speaker is Martin Honey Curator of Lepidoptera at the Natural History Museum, London on the topic of
THE MOTH COLLECTIONS AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM AND THE NEW FACILITIES AVAILABLE FOR USE BY AMATEURS
For more detail see the Latest Newsletter
Three moth events East Hertfordshire during 2010
INTRODUCTION TO MOTHS AND MOTH RECORDING
Saturday 24th April 2010, 19:00 onwards
Location: Myddelton House Gardens
Free event led by Martin Harvey.
More details
Advance booking essential via Lee Valley Information Service 08456 77060
INTRODUCTION TO THE NATURAL HISTORY AND ECOLOGY OF MOTHS
Saturday 22nd May 2010, 19:00 onwards
Location: Myddelton House Gardens
Free event led by Martin Harvey.
More details
Advance booking essential via Lee Valley Information Service 08456 770600
MOTH CONSERVATION
Saturday 19th June 2010, 19:00 onwards
Location: Myddelton House Gardens
Free event led by Martin Harvey.
More details
Advance booking essential via Lee Valley Information Service 08456 770600
Autumnal Rustic in Hertfordshire
Alan Reynolds caught and photographed an Autumnal Rustic in Hertford on 25 September. This is a scarce Herts species, especially so in the east of the county.
Jersey Tiger in Hertfordshire
Colin Grant caught a Jersey Tiger at Croxley Green on 12th August. This is probably the first Herts record.(Photo by Colin Grant)
Liz Goodyear got one (ab. lutescens) at Ware on 14th August see below (Photo by Liz Goodyear).
Extra Field meetings in Broxbourne Woods this autumn
Please see here
Gold Spot in Bishops Stortford
OnTuesday 28th July Colin Plant had a single 2439: Plusia festucae (Gold Spot) in his garden trap in Bishops Stortford. This seems to be the eleventh Herts record and is undoubtedly an immigrant.
Some unusual Hertfordshire sightings from Rothamsted
On the night of 13th July 09, a single Kent Black Arches was taken - apparently only the 2nd record for Herts we believe. A Grass Rivulet Perizoma albulata was caught here on 21st June, On the 9th July we caught a Mere Wainscot Chortodes fluxa, and a Blackneck Lygephila pastinum on 30th June. Jason Chapman and Phil Gould the moth identifier at Rothamsted would welcome news of these species from other sites in Hertfordshire this year.
Raspberry Clearwing on the wing in Beds - look out for it in Herts (dig out the new pheromone lures)
This is a new addition to the British list and is probably overlooked. It is established in North Herts and Cambs where it was discovered by Jim Reid.
The photo (©Jim Reid) shows the gall made in the stem where it meets the soil. The caterpillar lives for 2 years in the stems (canes) of raspberries, so if you prune your old raspberry canes you are probably destroying it. Look for neglected raspberry canes on allotments, unkempt gardens and of course wild in our woodlands. As far as we know nothing else galls the stem bases of raspberries. Take photos if possible and let Colin Plant know so we can check.
Pale Shining Brown
John Murray has recorded several examples of this BAP species at Marshalls Heath during late June and early July. A concentrated attempt by John, Ann Petersen,Colin Plant and Andrew Wood to find more on 9th July coincided with a very cold July night and we were unsuccessful, though John has recorded one since.
Ranoch Looper in Hertfordshire - again
Andrew Wood caught this one in Hertford on 25th June.
Ochsenheimeria urella in Hertfordshire
Only the second Herts record and first since 1977 (Sawbridgeworth Marsh)for this micro found by Andrew Wood in daylight on 21st June at Waterford Heath
Red Necked Footman in Hertfordshire
Another rarer migrant was found in daylight by Alan Reynolds at Balls Wood on 18th June
Ranoch Looper in Hertfordshire
Examples of this less usual migrant have been seen at Sawbridgeworth Marsh in the east of the county and Chorleywood in the west in the last week. The Chorleywood one from 31st May, recorded by Richard Ellis can be seen here (if you have a yahoo login)
New Hertfordshire Moth
Colin Plant took two examples of 656 Tachystola acroxantha (Oecophoridae) at Sawbridgeworth Marsh on the night of 22nd May. A picture of this species can be seen on the UKMoths website
Website Changes
We have had a few problems with hosting recently and for the last few weeks the site has been temporarily hosted on my personal webspace. We are now on the Hertfordshire Natural History Society's servers. There is no change to our address but I have taken the opportunity to revamp the site and remove some of the older material. - Andrew Wood
Field visit programme
Follow the link on the left to see details of some field visits that have been arranged in conjunction with other groups
Oak Processionary Moth in London
On May 8th 2009 DEFRA released updated information on this pest species that has become established in parts of north and west London.
Updates to the Moths of Hertfordshire
The Winter 2008/2009 newsletter has a number of amendments and updates to our master work.
